Iowa Central, which is making its fourth-ever national tournament appearance, actually led the Mustangs by 21 points in the first half before falling short. Despite going 11-for-26 outside the arc, the Region XI champion Tritons went just 15 of 28 from the charity stripe and were outrebounded, 61-41.

The Lady Knights (15-15) suffered a 63-35 setback to top-seeded Mesa (Ari.) in their first tournament game. Paige Hasty led the way for North Platte with 18 points.